HC Deb 25 November 1975 vol 901 c106W
Mr. Christopher Price

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has now completed his consideration of the representations made to him by the hon. Member for Lewisham, West for an inquiry, following the Court of Appeal judgment in the case of R. v. Lattimore, Salih and Leighton; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Roy Jenkins

My right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General and I have carefully considered the representations made by my hon. Friend and by others for the setting up of an inquiry into this case, and we have decided to set up an independent inquiry with the following terms of referenceTo inquire into the circumstances leading to the trial of Colin George Lattimore, Ahmet Salih and Ronald William Leighton on charges arising out of the death of Maxwell Confait and the fire at 27 Doggett Road; and to report.

We have invited the Hon. Sir Henry Fisher, President of Wolfson College, Oxford, and formerly a judge of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice, to carry out the inquiry, and I am glad to say that he has agreed to do so. After consulting him, we have decided that the inquiry should be held in private. Its findings will be published.